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Things to do in Adelaide for a first time visitor

Swinger

I'm heading over to Adelaide on my own the end of next month for 4/5 weeks to do a placement for uni and will be staying pretty centrally. I've never been to Australia before - I know there's a whole load of travel websites with plenty info on them, but I thought if I want an honest opinion on the best places to go I should tap into the collective travel and drinking experience of ARRSE.

So any of you that live in Adelaide or have been there in the past, I was wondering if you could give me a bit of advice:

- If there was one place that you would say that I absolutely MUST visit in or around Adelaide, where would it be?

- I gather that Australia is a fairly expensive place in terms of the cost of living - can you recommend anywhere I can get a relatively cheap beer?

- Is there anywhere in particular (a place or attraction etc.) that you recommend I don't visit because it doesn't live up to the hype?

Any advice from any locals/people who have visited/people who just want to take the piss are welcome.

LE

I wish I could remember because I'd also be able to identify the chip shop. After a week in a hotel in the centre of town I stayed a couple of days with friends who had a small boy. They were unfazed by the snake in the back garden-- told me to ignore it--but advised me to be a lot more wary of the spiders.

So: a chance encounter in a tiny time-frame/location. Kudos to the discretion of Australian snakes.

LE

LE

Adelaide Cabaret Festival in on in June.
As previous, Hindley street is where the strip joints are but dont expect cheap beer, I drink after work in the little pub on hindley street. Reasonable but they arent full pints and you probably pay $4, I also like the strathmore hotel on North Terrace and they do a novelty sizzling stone steak grill thing...(doesnt everywhere now?)
Further down Hindley Street turns into Rundle Mall which is the main shopping precinct and then into rundle street, as you go down there there are heaps of resaurants and you get into the East end where the Stag Hotel (pub) and PJ Obriens and the Elephant, all reasonable and bust weekend pubs and probably cheap weeknight pubs. The Elephant has some great live bands on.
Also down the east end is the Belgium Beer Cafe OOstende, not cheap and you pay a deposit for the large steins but large steins..none of this scooner crap!
My favourite place, if you can find it is a cocktail lounge called Fumo Blu - used to be a cigar lounge until the smoking ban but its one doorway off Rundle Street in the east end leads to a delight of cocktails and is well laid back, I drank 5 long island ice teas, I recon they were the most potent, about $18 per drink.
Scuzzi is a great little restaurant down that end too.

Obviously as a first timer get into the Casino for 24/7 shenanigans, my first night out I was still drinking in there at 1130am, the wife still doesnt believe me that you can lose a day in there!

Also depends what you are into, the Museum is free, there is a free city circular bus, zoo has Pandas, nice walks around the parks in the city and if you are a cyclist free bikes.

Marksman - Indoor Firing Range is pretty cool and also there is a theme pub called the tap in which has an indoor driving range and rooftop crazy golf.

As others said, Glenelg is the main seaside suburb and you can get a tram there, out of season but some nice cafes around the yachts and more importantly a good chance to see dolphins in the marina, sorry I mean that the bar in the Stamford Hotel is pretty good place and as previously mentioned find a fish and chip shop or gellatino outlet.

You should also get yourself out to AAMI (amy) Stadium and watch an Adelaide Crows game - this will be controversial with the Aussies on here as they are all passionate about there teams, but you should experience a game of aussie rules when in Aus.

Also, just sprung to mind, ynot sure when you are here and if the ashes are on but the casino or other hotels may stay open to watch a game.

Other things, there are some nice walks in the Adelaide hills, Waterfall Gully is better this type of year as the rains have now started, also Mt Loft botanical gardens (and the City Botanical Gardens) are good and free, you probably need a car though.

The main wine region is the Barossa and there are heaps of tours you can get on, the other regions are the Clare Valley and McLaren Vale, being from the UK you should get to Barossa and Banrock Station, wine tasting is free and leave your conscience at the door, whenever I take my family they taste around 8 wines and feel obliges to buy a bottle, sod that, they are heaps cheaper in the city at Dan Murphys booze warehouse, if you are inclined take the name.

Which gets me back to bargain booze, they do casks over here, a carton of wine for $15 for 5 litres (Goon Bags). Top up on them and you will be OK!

Again depending on what you are after, Victor Harbour is about 2 hours drive south and you can see the penguins at night, probably do a tour or drive but nice fish and chips there - King George Whiting is the fish of choice and I recommend it!!

You should probably go to Cuddlee Creek Wildlife Park, probably the better one locally, chance to stroke a Koala and feed kangaroos and emus as they wander free.

If you are into swimming there are two world class facilities here, if you like tennis there are a few clubs on the river torrens, if you like golf there is a good municiple course.

North Adeliade has a number of more reasonable pubs and bars, I lived in the Old Lion for a while and that has a good sports bar.

You can hire canoes up at port river and tour the estuary looking for dolphins, you can also go on a dolphin watching boat but I recommend the canoes.

There is a skydiving school north of the city, about 2 hours drive, if motor sports are your thing, there are a number of circuits (amateur types), Glenelg has a jet boat, there is a company called Adelaide Warbirds where you can fly in a military jet for $2500 - I think they offer a student discount of 1%.

Of course, all that really matter is the women are fekn gorgeous, their tits seem much bigger than the UK, there are heaps of well fit eastern types, these eastern types also have massive tits, food is cheap in takeaways buy bulk wine from Dan Murphys and then just shag all the gorgeous big titted students.

I presume you arent a mature student, so if you manage to get into a nice filthy ring of sex with other students, please remember your old pal Rawhide and drop him a PM invite to the party. Ive been dying to be a student here, its got to be the filthiest over developed tit fest ever.

Swinger

I'll be living fairly centrally at the hospital and won't have a car (or sadly the money to fly a military jet), but I'll definitely have a little look at a few of the things you've recommended - I really do fancy having a crack at the shooting, and I'll definitely try to see some Aussie rules.

I'll be sure to give you a PM if I do get involved in a filthy student sex ring, you deserve it for the amount of time it must've taken for you to write that reply!